Damned Either Way
I pushed my body's unnatural limits into overdrive as I ran towards Bella's house, Carlisle struggling to keep up. Even at my fastest we were still minutes away. What started out as blind rage quickly turned to a cold wave of dread that I couldn't shake off. Edward was at his most dangerous right now, and Bella was his only focus. Hundreds of gut-wrenching scenarios played through my head as we ran, each one more gruesome than the last. Bella, screaming in agony, as Edward ripped her throat out. Bella, gasping for breath, choking on her own blood, clawing at his face in desperation. Bella, her lifeless body a crumpled heap on the floor, clothes torn and bloody, with Edward standing triumphantly over her. I felt sick. The thought of losing her was simply unacceptable. She was far too interesting to be wasted on Edward's blood lust.
"Jasper.."
"I'll give you one chance to get him out of there Carlisle. Three seconds, that's it. After that, I can't guarantee the outcome." He sighed a long hard sigh.
"I have to try and help him." The sorrow coming off Carlisle was palpable. I honestly hope for his sake he can help Edward because if he can't, well, our friendship might not be the same after I decapitate and incinerate his favorite son.
I felt his bloodlust before I heard her heartbeat. It was all consuming, all encompassing. No other emotions remained, simply hunger and desperation. He knew his little stunt would most likely fail, but he didn't care. When I did hear her heartbeat however, a rush of relief overtook me. Each slow, wet, thud brought me back down to reality, and to the task at hand. As we sprinted through the tree line my eyes scanned her back yard wildly, looking for any sign of disturbance. His scent went straight up to the house, where he very clearly jumped through an open second floor window. It took everything in my power not to launch myself straight through the side of her house. Instead, I sent wave after wave of lethargy crashing down on Edward. Enough to knock out an entire heard of elephants. Carlisle wasted no time. He leapt gracefully into Bella's bedroom, returning two seconds later carrying a very incapacitated Edward, slumped over and moaning. He nodded a silent 'thank you' and left, and just like that it was over.
I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding. I'd deal with my possible over reaction later. I had other things to attend to first. A good man would feel guilty about invading this strange little creature's space. Luckily for me that wasn't a problem. She was sleeping, though not restfully, tossing and mumbling every so often. I used the giant pine tree next to her house- bad placement if you ask me- as leverage and jumped silently through her window.
I was immediately bombarded by her delicious scent. It was so heavily concentrated in her tiny room that it left me feeling lightheaded. My eyes locked onto her slumbering form. She was all tangled up in sheets, her skin damp with sweat, shivering now and then. She looked so... fragile. Rolling onto her side she hiked her leg up, and my innocent thoughts flew out the window. She was half naked, in nothing but a tank top and fuck me, I can't even remember what they're called, booty shorts? I swallowed hard. Her ass was on perfect display for me, the blanket just barely maintaining her modesty. Wild curls hid her face, so instead I watched the trail of goose bumps move up her thighs and across the small of her back. She looked so fucking tempting, I could spread her thighs just a little further and dive right in- I shut my eyes and composed myself, taking a deep breath. She would not get the better of me, in her sleep no less.
When I opened them again, I studied her in greater detail. Even in sleep she seemed tormented. Maybe her concussion played a part, but I doubt it. No one lives with pain like that and sleeps soundly at night. Bella whimpered, trying to curl herself into a little ball. The bruises I had spotted on her wrist didn't stop there, in fact, they were everywhere. Dark purple welts disappeared under her shirt, and older more faded bruises were scattered along her arms and legs. These couldn't all be from Edward; I was sure of it. I scanned her room briefly for information. She had nothing but the bare necessities it seemed. Her small mattress was directly on the floor in the corner of the room. Next to it on the ground, a singular lamp, a bottle of bourbon, an ashtray with half a joint, and her cell phone. Across the room in the other corner was a chair filled with her clothes, beside a desk with only her book bag sitting on top of it. No decorations, no personal items, nothing a normal girl her age would have in her room. Well minus the booze and smoke. That was arguably very normal for a girl her age.
She began to stir, so I sent her a good dose of lethargy to keep her sleeping. That was my first mistake. My legs buckled as my vision began to fade. My hands shot out in a fruitless attempt to steady myself. I fell to my knees with a thud, struggling to remain conscious. What the fuck. I was making too much noise. My unsolicited unnecessary breaths came out in pants and gasps. Bella stiffened. She was seconds from waking up and I was damn near immobile on the floor. I dragged myself up and through the window before she could see me, falling clumsily to the ground below. She woke up fully then, walking to the window and looking out into the darkness. With a very dejected sigh she shut the window and got back into bed.
When the coast was clear I sat up with my back against the giant pine and let out a hearty laugh. What else could I do? I've never had a dose of my own medicine before, and this little forest fairy just gave me a big one. No one has ever been able to resist my influence, let alone redirect it back towards me in their sleep. As a human-if she even is human, I'm still not convinced- her gifts were unheard of. How she managed to escape the attention of other vampires for so long is a mystery. Anything with a nose and a couple of brain cells can tell she's special, this just confirmed what I already knew.
Hearing Emmet's approach in the distance I stood up and shook off the remaining night-night medicine I had accidentally given myself. I had no intention of revealing tonight's events to anyone, even Emmet. The less people that knew about Bella's peculiar abilities, the better. Her life was becoming complicated enough.
"I take it she's okay then. You know, since Eddy still has all his limbs." He said it without his usual gusto.
"Tell him to enjoy em' while he can." He looked like he wanted to say something but remained quiet. I gave him a blunt look and he got to the point.
"I overestimated Edward's self-control. I held out a whole two seconds before I killed my first singer, and the next one was drained and dead before she even had the chance to blink." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I just assumed since Bells was still alive, he had it under wraps." He turned to stare at her bedroom window. The guilt was practically pouring off him.
"The only reason she's still alive is because he hasn't been able to get her alone yet. Tonight was his first chance and he took it. If given the opportunity he'll make the same choice every time." I started in the direction of the house. Emmet gave Bella's window one last regretful stare before following suit.
Once back at the house I headed straight for my study. Emmet informed me that Carlisle, Esme, and Alice had taken Edward for a hunt to clear his head and discuss his 'options'. Picking up my phone that had been abandoned on my desk, I checked my messages. There was one from Peter that simply said, "Watch out for Twatward.". No shit Sherlock. He didn't need to use his gift to determine that. I waited not-so-patiently for the text I was anticipating.
"Don't be terribly mad at me. There's a reason today went down like it did."-A
"Fuck your reasons, you just let him go after her."-J
"I thought caring about people wasn't a strong suit of yours."- A
Alice, probably seeing she would get nothing from me, continued.
"She was in no real danger. It needed to happen."-A
"He was in her fucking bedroom and you're gonna tell me she was in no real danger?"-J
"How about those cheeky briefs she had on?"-A
I gave her the silent treatment.
" It seems like she knows how to party, I bet you two could have a blast."-A
I opted for the offensive play. Deciding to set a small fire in her favorite walk-in closet was all it took to trigger a vision and get a serious answer out of her.
"God, you have no sense of humor. I'll make it up to you, okay?"-A
"Not good enough."-J
"Bella has the rest of the week off ." -A
"I could've figured that out on my own." -J
"She'll be at Newton's early this morning, that's all I know. I'll invite her over again, though I'm not sure she'll come." -A
Now we were making progress.
Dawn was approaching, but not fast enough. By the time first light rolled around I had run out of distractions, even moving at a human's pace. Now showered and clothed I sat down at my computer to check some emails for the various family businesses. Still, that took me only five minutes, and I was left staring blankly at the wall. This is the side of immortality that no one considers. The mind-numbing boredom. I spent the remaining two hours going back and forth between daydreaming about dismembering Edward and trying to forget the image of Bella sprawled out on her mattress. It was a long two hours.
When I pulled into Newton's parking lot she was already inside. The boy behind the counter, a classmate judging by the way he prattled endlessly at her, was pumping out as much lust and sexual frustration as a bull elephant during mating season. It would be almost impressive if it weren't so annoying. Bella on the other hand seemed less than enthused. I could see through the display window that she was clenching and unclenching her fists repeatedly behind her back, and her voice sounded slightly strained when she spoke.
"I just need a sleeping bag Mike, preferably an adjustable one rated down to -10 degrees."
"Come on Bella, quit being so damn serious all the time."
"And a high-quality camping tarp."
"One little double date wouldn't do you any harm."
"I'll find it myself." She turned and swiftly walked away with Mike hot at her heels. I parked and made my way into the store. This ought to be entertaining at the very least. I lingered in a nearby isle pretending to intently examine the thermos and cooler selection. We did have to keep up our family 'camping' charade after all.
"Think of it as more of an outdoor adventure. A romantic romp around nature."
"I romp romantically through nature just fine on my own thank you very much." Truer words have never been spoken.
"The tide pools are actually really cool, and there's always a bunch of booze at the bonfires." He said it with a suggestive lilt to his voice.
"Bless your heart, what would your mother say?" Her very brief but very thick southern accent took me by surprise. His corresponding cheap imitation on the other hand hurt my ears.
"What mama don't know won't hurt her."
"Didn't you get a DUI last summer? I think mama already knows. And shouldn't you be in school?" Bella's words were joking, but her tone was biting. She made her way to the isle next to mine. Mike, not taking the hint however, followed.
"Alright smart-ass, word travels fast in a small town. I'll get Lauren to drive."
"Doesn't Lauren hate me? Or is it Jessica?" Her voice was thick with sarcasm.
"I think they both hate you."
"Exactly."
"Then let's just hang out one on one. You're so uptight, it sounds like you need to relax." Mike wasn't even trying to hide the sneer in his voice. His frustration was steadily increasing and beginning to morph into anger.
Judging by the sound of disgust she made he must have reached for her. "Don't fucking touch me Mike. The only thing you're gonna need is surgery to remove my foot from your ass."
Having reached a boiling point his emotions took a vicious turn. "Edward already hit that, huh?" Bella stopped dead in her tracks. They had been moving in my general direction and were just a few feet from me, on the other side of the isle.
"I guess everyone was right. So, you spread your legs for any guy who saves you? Or just the rich ones?"
"Excuse me?" She managed to force the words through clenched teeth, no expression in her voice.
"I heard the two of you left together. Hopped from your gurney straight into his bed. You move pretty quick."
She was presumably stunned to silence, but not for long. "Wow, I thought slut shaming was out. Guess not."
"It's not slut shaming if it's true."
"I don't have time for your petty bullshit, Mike. Take Lauren to the rez, or Jessica, I really don't care. Just make sure you fuck completely off in the process."
I rounded the corner and locked eyes with Mike. Bella's retort had rubbed him the wrong way to say the least, but one hard stare was all it took to send him scurrying in the other direction. I watched with mild amusement as she struggled to reach her sleeping bag of choice muttering profanities under her breath. Using her momentary distraction to my advantage I closed the distance between us and plucked the sleeping bag from the top shelf. She froze, but only for a second. Neither of us moved; we were standing so close her back brushed against my chest with every shallow breath she took.
"We're gonna start a small town scandal if you don't move." She kept her voice even and stared straight ahead, barely acknowledging my existence.
Smirking, I bent down and whispered in her ear, "The bigger the better darlin." Her scent was intoxicating, and I fought the urge to bury my face in her neck.
She promptly spun around and locked eyes with mine. The intensity of her stare put me on edge. I propped my free hand on the shelf beside her head, putting some distance between us. Neither of us spoke. I half expected her to become uncomfortable under my gaze, but Bella always did the opposite of what I was expecting.
Instead, she crossed her arms and leaned back against the shelf, taking her time to look me over. Her face remained neutral as her eyes raked over my body. They lingered however, during their journey. Jaw, neck, shoulders and forearms were all under careful inspection. I forced myself to remain still under her scrutiny, frustrated I could not judge her reaction the easy way. Her eyes moved lower, down my chest, across my stomach, lingering on the slightly exposed buckle of my belt. Her gaze was almost palpable. It left my skin burning with anticipation. She continued, eyes stopping briefly on my mouth before meeting mine once more.
Now that I had her full attention, it was my turn. Bella watched with wary eyes while I gave her the same once over she had given me moments before. I took my time, going over every detail of her face before moving on to her sinful body. Her heart lost its cool composure when my eyes trailed down the length of her neck. It fluttered wildly as I watched the rise and fall of her chest, her crossed arms putting her full breasts on display for me. Her breath hitched when my eyes drifted lower across her toned stomach and delicious thighs. I steadied myself before taking a deep breath. The faint smell of her arousal almost made me snap. In all my years I can't recall ever wanting something as badly as I wanted her.
Knowing that she liked this- my eyes on her, my careful inspection- that it turned her on was almost more than I could handle. My gaze snapped back to hers, eyes surely black as night. She made no reaction, if anything my hungry expression excited her further. My jaw clenched shut as I watched her take her bottom lip between her teeth, biting it to presumably relieve some of the tension.
I was so enthralled by the creature before me I almost didn't hear Mike's approach. An unfamiliar wave of possessiveness swelled over me. This boy would be left with no doubt in his mind what my intentions were.
I timed my actions perfectly. Waiting until Mike was just a few paces from rounding the corner I took a step closer to Bella. Her eyes widened as I invaded her personal space, bringing my hand up to gently cup her cheek. Her look of surprise was almost amusing, but her eyes still closed with a little sigh when we made contact. The heat from her skin was searing, like touching a hot iron. Just as Mike rounded the corner my thumb moved to tug at her bottom lip.
"Don't do that." She immediately released her lip at my command, and I smoothed the marks with my thumb.
Mike let loose an audible gasp and dropped whatever items he was carrying. Bella's head snapped in his direction; eyes wide with shock as he hurried off muttering 'whore' under his breath.
Taking a step back I stood to my full height, not even trying to hide the look of triumphant satisfaction on my face.
"You did that on purpose." Her face was void of emotion and her tone was cold. It wasn't a question.
"He's a piece of shit."
"He's going to tell the whole town I'm fucking both of you."
"Like I said, the bigger the better." She rolled her eyes with a huff at my smirk.
I tossed her the sleeping bag I was holding hostage. She caught it swiftly, no reaction other than a tiny scowl. Apparently having enough of my shit, she walked off. I hesitated momentarily, watching in appreciation as she bent to retrieve the items Mike had abandoned before following suit.
As we approached the register, I felt Mike's anger increase tenfold. He was building the courage to say something, regardless of my intimidating presence. The few interactions I had with this man child were unpleasant to say the least. His emotions were base and childish, petulant and spoiled. He was polite when mommy and daddy were around, but as soon as their backs were turned his true self appeared.
My irrational hatred for him grew with each passing moment. It was unlike my usual nonchalant disdain for humans. Every breath he took was pissing me off further. Mike instantly wiped the sneer off his face when he saw the look of murder in my eyes.
In the end he chickened out, ringing us up in complete silence. When we stepped outside Bella was visibly relieved. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and for a moment she looked so serene. She allowed herself only a moment though, before quickly switching to her usual mask of indifference.
"Where's your ride?" Besides my truck, the parking lot was barren.
"I walked."
I looked down at her petite frame as she began to walk away. It was a short ride back to her house, ten or fifteen minutes by car if you respect the speed limit. To walk though? It had to be close to ten miles. She must have walked all morning.
I unlocked my truck and hopped in. Bella didn't expect a hand out. Didn't hint that she was exhausted or needed help. Just accepted her situation and moved on. I found myself reaching over and opening the passenger door, giving a quick honk of the horn to get her attention.
She hesitated before making her way over to the open door.
"I don't need your-" I cut her off.
"I know you don't. I'm headed that direction anyway." It was a lie. If she was suspicious she didn't show it, hopping in the truck with a simple 'thank you'. I again got that strange rush of satisfaction when I spotted Mike watching us as we exited the parking lot.
The first few minutes were quiet. It seemed Bella was just as comfortable with silence as I was. It was refreshing to be near someone who doesn't feel the need to fill every moment with idle prattle. When she did decide to speak however, she got straight to the point.
"You were going to take my kill that night." It wasn't a question, but her eyes were searching.
The irony of the whole situation was not lost on me and I gave a short chuckle.
"It wasn't your kill I wanted." Perhaps it wasn't wise to be so honest, but Bella was no fool. She would be more suspicious if I gave her some half ass cover story. She didn't ask me to elaborate, probably sensing she would get no more from me.
As we got closer to her house her discomfort seemed to grow, like she was anticipating something. Fidgeting in her seat, her eyes darted nervously between the clock on the dash and the passenger side window. It was strange to rely on only words or physical tells to determine emotions. I didn't find myself minding the handicap however, it only stoked my curiosity further.
When her house came into view, Bella cursed and her shoulders visibly slumped. Two cars were parked in the driveway, and she didn't look pleased about it.
"Can you drop me off a few houses down?" She sounded so defeated, the emotion seeping into her voice.
I obliged, pulling the truck over once the house was out of view. She didn't speak, just sat quietly fussing with the end of her sleeve.
"You don't want to go inside." It wasn't a question, and she didn't correct me. I threw the truck in drive and pulled off the side of the road before I could talk myself out of it.
"What are you doing?" Surprise washed over her usually neutral features as her eyes snapped to mine.
I didn't have a good answer for her. I went with my gut.
"Are you damned either way?" My head jerked back referencing the house we left behind. Bella paused, training her eyes forward. It took her a minute before she forced out a bitter 'yeah'.
"Then you might as well enjoy the ride."
